Gas turbine engine combustors employ a plurality of fuel nozzles, typically arranged in an annular configuration, to spray the fuel into the combustion chamber of an annular combustor. Each of these fuel nozzles generates a spray of fuel which is generally conical in shape and which defines a generally circular cross-sectional profile, as shown in FIG. 6b for example. However, in order to achieve a complete fuel spray coverage in annular combustors, a relatively large number of fuel nozzles are required about the combustor. Further, as the overall shape of the fuel spray produced is fixed, no alternatives exist for controlling the density and profile of fuel sprays in the combustor.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine combustor which permits, inter alia, a reduction in the total number of parts of such combustors and thus lowers overall production costs.